Jay Wexley's contribution to McSweeney's this week show's the frustrations of Woodsy the Owl in his attempt to battle pollution in the modern age. It seems that "Give a Hoot Don't Pollute" just doesn't have the same resonance these days!
Here is an old video from 1977 that emphasizes the generation gap:
For a more serious treatment of Woodsy's history, including an interesting justification of his genesis due to U.S. federal government strictures on the role of Smokey the Bear as being purely against forest fires, see this excellent tribute to Woodsy's creator, Harold Bell.
